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Montage of Wing Point in Bainbridge Island and the Edmonds Ferry.

Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

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Inslee files bill to set emission standards for transportation fuels

8 May 2007

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) today introduced legislation in the House that would set greenhouse gas performance standards for fuels used to power motor vehicles, airplanes, ships and trains. It would provide oil savings and emissions reductions in the transportation sector by creating a competitive market for low-carbon fuels, such as biofuels and electricity.

"Gas prices are at record highs and Americans are demanding action by Congress to reduce our nation's addiction to oil," said Inslee.  "This bill is a twofer: it not only will help wean us from fossil fuels, it also will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions that are causing climate change."

Specifically, Inslee's Federal Low Carbon Fuels Act, would reduce the carbon intensity of the transportation fuel mix in the United States by three percent every five years, beginning in 2015; create a market-based framework for commercializing clean alternative fuels, without dictating technology winners and losers; spur innovation and rural economies by expanding market opportunities for biofuels, electricity for plug-in hybrid vehicles, and other fuels with low-carbon potential; and, maintain flexibility for fuel providers to decide their fuel mix, while guaranteeing improvement in environmental performance of the fuels over time.

The fuel standard would be measured on a full lifecycle basis to account for emissions during all stages of production and consumption. It is designed to work in conjunction with increased fuel economy standards to increase energy security, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from the transportation sector and spur growth of the U.S. economy by promoting clean-energy technologies.

"This will be an important component of truly comprehensive global-warming legislation, like my New Apollo Energy Act," added Inslee, who first authored a 400-page, clean-energy bill in June 2005. He plans to re-introduce an updated version of the legislation in coming weeks for the 110th Congress.

Inslee's legislation is modeled after the world's first low carbon fuel standard, established by California's Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on January 9, 2007. It also is consistent with recent policy recommendations made by the National Commission on Energy Policy, a bipartisan group of 20 of the nation's leading energy experts. Eight House members, including U.S. Reps. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J) and George Miller (D-Calif.), have cosponsored Inslee's bill.

Three low carbon fuel standard bills have been in the Senate. U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) both have their own measures. U.S. Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) also filed legislation in the Senate on Monday.

Inslee serves on the House Natural Resources and House Energy and Commerce committees. In March, he also was appointed to the newly created Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Click here to read Inslee's letter.